Sharifa Begum Sheuli,Rangpur Correspondent:
People, disoriented by the erosion of flood embankments along the 115-kilometer stretch of the Bangladesh side of the Teesta, are coming to the “public hearing” titled “What to do about Teesta”. Some are coming by river, some by road, some by rail. They are seen holding placards with various slogans.
At a public hearing on the Teesta issue in Rangpur, Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, advisor to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, said, “The literacy rate in the Teesta chars is low and there are no schools there. The Ministry of Local Government will build educational institutions in the chars in proportion to the population.”
He made the remarks while delivering a special guest speech at a public hearing titled ‘What to do about Teesta’ at the Teesta Rail Bridge premises in Kaunia Upazila of Rangpur on Sunday (February 9) afternoon. Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forests, Climate Change and Water Resources, was the chief guest at the event.
Asif Mahmud said, the five northern districts surrounded by the Teesta River have a surplus in agricultural production. But due to lack of infrastructure, they do not get a fair price for their crops. There are no cold storages, cold storages will be set up in the char areas considering production and products. The feasibility of this is being examined.
Its sole purpose is to ensure that farmers get the right price for their crops.
He further said that the ministry will provide modern and well-equipped libraries in areas of the north where literacy rates are low. In addition, arrangements are being made to provide special allocations in proportion to the disparities in areas that have suffered regional discrimination in the past.
The interim government has taken initiatives to develop the agricultural industry in North Bengal. Sugar mills in the north are already being started.
This advisor said, a draft of the Teesta master plan has been circulating since 2011. Sheikh Hasina said that what she gave to India will be remembered for a lifetime. The Awami League government only took pictures with their Prime Minister when they went to India, but did not dare to talk about the Teesta.
The interim government is talking loudly about getting a fair share of Teesta water. If necessary, diplomatic pressure will be applied on the basis of the Water Act to get a fair share of Teesta water.
The public hearing, chaired by Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rabiul Faisal, was also addressed by National Citizens Committee Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives AKM Tariqul Alam, and Convenor of Teesta Bachao, Nodi Bachao Sangram Parishad Principal Nazrul Islam Haqqani, among others.
The public hearing demanded fair share of Teesta water, construction of dams in 21 kilometers of the most erosion-prone area, compensation for those affected by the erosion, construction of schools and clinics on the Teesta char, construction of training centers to eliminate unemployment, maintaining ownership of land lost to river erosion, construction of agricultural-based factories while preserving the environment, and starting work on the Teesta master plan this year.
Thousands of men and women from Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Kurigram and Tistapar districts of Gaibandha, including people of all ages, participated in the public hearing.
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